Wire-nail machine



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P.H.HARDMAN.

WIRE NAIL MACHINE. No. 317,130 Patented May 5; 1885.

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No Model.-)

. 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. H. HARDMAN'.

WIRE NAIL MACHINE.

No. 317,130. Patented May 5, 188 5} ..J z R 7 I "(NOMMW I 3Sheets-Bheet3.

P H. HARDMAN.

' WIRE NAIL MACHINE. P N 17 1 0 Patented May 5,1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED H. HARDMAN, OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

'WI-RE-NAIL MACHINE.

$PECIFICA'IION forming part of'Letters Patent No. 317,130, dated May5,1885.

Application filed December 1, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED H. HARDMAN, of Taunton, in the county ofBristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Wire-Nail Machines, of which the following is a full andclear specification. I

The object of my invention is to provide an improved machine for formingnails from a continuous length of wire in a more rapid and uniformmanner than heretofore. I

The invention consists in the construction, combination, and arrangementof the mechanism hereinafter more fully, described, and set forth in theclaims, whereby wire nails of any desired size and length maybe producedhaving heads of any desired size, and of various sizes, formed from wireof uniform size or of various sizes, as hereinafter set forth.

Figure 1 represents a top plan of a wirenail machine constructedaccording to my invention. Fig. 2 represents a vertical longitudinalcentral section of the same. Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of thesame. Fig. 4 represents a perspective view of a detached portion. Fig. 5represents a similar view of another portion. Fig. 6 represents asection view of a portion of the cam mechanism.

A represents the supporting frame or bed of the machine, upon which theseveral operating devices are mounted, as shown.

, BB represent the dies which grasp the nailwire while it is beingheaded.

The lower die, B, is secured to the rigid cross bar or frame 0, which is-cast with the said bed A of the machine, forming a part thereof. Thesaid die B is circular, and is held in position by the axial bolt E,passing through the center of the same within a hole provided to receiveit, and through the said cross-frame G, and provided with a screwthreadand nut, whereby the said die may be partially turned or rotated uponsaid bolt E, so as to permit various portions of its periph-, cry to beturned to the top or into operative position to grasp the nail-wire at anew or fresh point without removing the die. The said retaining-bolt Epasses through the said cross-frame 0 within an oblong or slotted hole,

whereby the said lower gripping-die, B, may be adjusted vertically bymeans of the setscrew (1, which has a bearing against the bottom portionof the said die, as shown, so asto adjust the same to the various sizesof gripping-dies used. I v

The upper die, B, is secured in like manner to the adjustable or movablecross-lever arm G, one end of which is pivoted to the said cross-frame0, near one side of the said bedpiece'A, and extends across the same tothe opposite side, and its free end rests upon the spring 9, as shown inFig. 3, the said die B being secured in position by the bolt E passingthrough the center of the same, and through a slightly oblong holeformed through the said pivoted cross-lever arm G, and is adapted to beadjusted vertically by means of the setscrew a, whereby the saidgripping-dies B B may be adjusted to firmly hold the size of nailwirebeing used, but cannot be adjusted toward or from the cutting-dies, ashereinafter described. 1

The wire 2, from which the nails are to be formed, is fed forwardthrough the said gripping-dies B B by means of a feeding device composedof a reciprocating block, I), having an orifice or opening for thepassage of the wire and a pivoted lever, 0, provided at its shorter endwith a vertical dog orfchisel, (I, pressed by a spring, (2, under itsopposite longer end, against the wire, said dog or chisel beingthusadapted to bite or grasp the wire when the said block is movingtoward the said gripping-dies B B, and to slip on the wire when theblock is moving in the opposite direction. The upper die, B, restsloosely upon the lower die, B, sothat it exerts no pressure on the wirebetween said dies, excepting when pressed downward by the cam F, securedupon the driving-shaft H. Said cam F acts upon a friction-roll, 0,provided at the vibrating end of the long curved lever J, the oppositeend of which is pivoted to a projection, I, formed upon the adjustablebed-piece A of the machine, and provided near thepivoted curved end,upon the under side,with a socketbearing within which is fitted theupper ball end of thetoggle K. The lower end of said toggle rests in acavity formed in the upper surfaceand near the moving end of the saidcross-lever arm G, whereby a very powerful grip or great pressure may bebroughtnpon the upper die, B, at each revolution of thesaid cam F, andwhen the end of the said curved lever J has been released from theaction of the said cam it is forced upward by the spring f, and the endof the pivoted cross-lever arm G is correspondingly forced upward by thespring 9, whereby the upper die, B, is caused to rest lightly upon thesaid nail-wire, or entirely removed therefrom while the said wire isbeing fed through the dies, as above described. I v

The said dies B B are preferably formed on the perilneters of circulardisksor blocks of steel, each having a series of half-dies, and securedin the desired positions by the center bolts, as above described.

L represents the header, which upsets the end of the wire after theseparation of a nail therefrom, and thus forms the head of the nextnail. The header consists of the usual hammer, L, secured within the endof the horizontal slide-bar M, which is adapted to reciprocate in alongitudinal groove or guideway formed in the adjustable bed A, and isreciprocated by means of the cam N, secured upon the driving-shaft H,and which contacts with a projection formed upon the said slide-bar M asit rotates, and thus draws the hammer L and slide-bar H back,compressing the vertical spring-bars Q until the said cam N slips pastor from the said projection h, when the force of the said spring Q inpels the said bar and hammer forward, so as to cause a sharp or quickblow upon the projecting end of the wire, and thus form the head for thenail as desired.

The cutting-,dies P 1? are formed as usual, and secured to the shortends of the pivoted cutting-levers It, as shown in Fig. 5, the oppositelonger ends being provided with friction-rolls,and actuated by means ofthe cams S and T, secured upon the driving-shaft H, one end of which hassecured thereon the usual belt-pulleys and balance-wheel, as shown inFig. 1. The opposite end has secured thereon the crank-wheel U, providedwith a dovetail or T-shaped groove extending across its outward face,and provided with an adjustable wrist or crank pin,V, carrying a loosesocket or sleeve to which is secured one end of the connecting-rod XV,the opposite end of which is connected loosely with the end of the slidebar Y, the opposite end of which connects with the reciprocating block bof the wire-feed device, and thus reciprocates the said block b, causingthe feed device to feed the wire intermittently. The length of the feedmovement may be regulated by adjusting the said wristpin V from ortoward the center of the said crank-wheel U.

The time of the various operations of the machine is as follows: Supposea nail to have been severed and the cutting-dies to have separated,leaving a short end of wire projecting from the gripping-dies. Thehammer L and slide-bar M,the rear end of which bears againstthe..powerful spring-bars Q, is released by the said cam N, the springQ, impels the header forward with great force, thus upsetting theprojecting end of the wire and forming the head. While the wire isheld,the feed-block moves backwardly and takes a new hold on the wire.The header now recedes, cam F partially revolves, with shaft H, andallows springs f and g to raise the levers G J, which releases the uppergripping-die, and then the feed-block moves forward feeding the wirealong between the gripping-dies. N ext, cam F revolves so as to pressdownward the said levers G J, thereby bringing the upper gripping-diedown firmly upon the wire. Then the cutting-dies approach the wire andact upon it, forming the point of the nail last headed, and severing itor nearly severing it from the wire. The cutting-dies then separate, andto insure the nail leaving the wire before the header reaches it theclearer t knocks the nail off, if the cutters have failed to remove it,and then the header again advances and upsets the nail-wire, as before.The clearer iis formed or curved as shown in Fig. 4, its rear end beingconnected to the pivoted rocking crossframe X, to one end of which issecured the short arm t, the outward end of which is adapted to engagewithin the notch 19, formed in the periphery of the wheel F on thedriving-shaft H, being forced within the said notch by means of thespring a, secured to the .bed of the machine, thus tilting thedownward-curved end of the clearer against the nail at the proper momentto detach the nail and return to its former position before the headeradvances to form the next head, as before. It will be understood thatthe end of the clearer projects over the nail as formed.

The detached nails may be conducted from the machine, or permitted todrop through an aperture in the bed into a receptacle below. Now, inorder that the amount of stock in the heads of the nails formed from thesame size of wire may be varied, I have provided an adjustablebed-piece, A, on the main bedpiece A, and which may be moved longitudi-IOC) nally thereon by means of collar-screws H,

which pass through projections L, formed at one end of the bed-piece A,and enter screwthreaded holes formed in the end of the ad j ustablebed-piece A, and is then secured in such position by the verticalscrew-bolts 1?,

extending through holes slightly oblong or slots formed in the saidbed-piece A, and fitting snugly within holes formed through theadjustable bed-piece A, as shown.

It will be seen and understood that all of the operating mechanism,except the crosslever arm G and gripping-dies B B, is mounted upon thesaid adjustable bed-piece A, and is moved therewith toward or from thegripping-dies 13 B, which are perm'tnently fixed upon the said bed-pieceA. As the'impact of the header against the gripping-diesin heading thenails renders the solidity and rigidity of the same very important, inorder that the heads of the nails may be of uniform size, it is 'foundthat the slightest variation or movement of the gripping-dies from thecutting dies after the gripping dies have been adjusted in relation tothe cutting-dies this objection by constructing the support for thegripping-dies in. a continuous piece with the main bed of the machine,which, being cast of iron in one solid piece, insures perfect fixity andrigidity of the same at the desired point upon the bed of the machine,and which the constant jar of the header cannot impair; and, byconstructing the cutting-dies and other actuating devices adapted to beadjusted to ward or from the gripping-dies, the size of the heads of thenails may be formed of the desired amount of stock, and continueduniformly throughout such size of wire, as may be desired, which is ofgreat importance.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is Y The combination,with the gripping-dies permanently secured to the bed-piece of themachine, of the adjustable cutting-dies, and mechanism for adjusting thecutting-dies toward and from the gripping-dies, substantially asdescribed.

FRED H. HARDMAN.

WVitnesses:

SYLvENUs WALKER, CHAS. S. GODING.

